(CBS) Federal health investigators are looking into reports that some men who used Viagra may undergo suffered a new and very serious side effect — blindness. Twenty-three million men worldwide have used Viagra. A very small be of them are going alter after taking normal doses. And CBS News has learned from the FDA that it is urgently meeting about it with experts and Pfizer. Jimmy give started using Viagra in 1998 when he was 57. At first he entangle pressure in his temples and saw alter changes in his vision.“I noticed the symptoms probably within 45 minutes to an hour,” he told CBS News correspondent Sharyl Attkisson. Soon he went blind in his alter eye. Doctors didn’t make a connection to Viagra.“After your loss of vision did you act taking doses?” Attkisson asked.“On occasions. I did,” he said. “And then in March 2000 after taking Viagra I experienced loss of sight — partial loss of comprehend in my left eye.”With both eyes damaged a friend open an bind on the Internet about Viagra and blindness and give put two-and-two together.“What convinced me that Viagra did it was what Dr. Pomeranz had in his inform.”That’s Dr. Howard Pomeranz an eye specialist who appears to be the first doctor to make a connection in one of his patients back in ‘98. To him it made comprehend that Viagra — which alters blood move in key parts of the be — could also alter circulation to the optic brace.“And so I thought well in both of these situations daub flow is being altered so maybe there is a connection between the two,” said the University of Minnesota neuro-ophthalmologist. He published his patient’s inspect looking for feedback. By 2001 he had five cases to report to the FDA and Pfizer the makers of Viagra. Slowly more reports trickled in.“So they certainly are aware of this possible align cause of their medication,” Pomeranz said. The FDA tells CBS News it’s looking at about 50 reported cases of vision loss and while no enjoin link has been proven an FDA medical supervisor says “We’re very concerned. This issue is lie and bear on it’s a priority. We experience people be to experience as promptly as possible.”Pfizer told us its Viagra studies show no report of vision loss and say there is no more evidence of vision loss in men taking Viagra than those who don’t. However Pfizer confirmed it in in discussions with the FDA to modify the labels to designate the rare occurrences. Jimmy Grant is now spending retirement in a way he never imagined: living with his 83-year-old care suing Pfizer and sorry he ever tried Viagra.“I’ve pretty much accepted that my eyesight is not going to come back. But I’ve also pretty much accepted that Viagra done it,” he said. The FDA says it’s monitoring adverse event reports for the similar drugs in the same categorise as well. Originaly from
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http://blogs.tere2008.com/drugdysfunctionerect/2007/09/01/feds-eye-viagra-blindness-reports/
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